The YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region offers empowerment camps for girls ages 9-12 and special need camps for ages 5+.

YWCA Empowerment Summer Camp

(ages 9-12)

Greater Midland Community Center: July 23-27

Dow Bay Area Family YMCA: July 9-13 and August 13-17

YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region is #OnAMission to empower women of all ages and has been doing so for over 127 years. Our summer camp is a camp that focuses on empowering girls ages 9-12 years old. This camp focuses on the development of a positive sense of self, connection and commitment to others, and the development of the abilities and motivation to succeed in school and participate fully in family and community life. Girls learn about and participate in self-defense, character strengths, self-confidence & self-esteem, leadership challenges, positive role models and explore social justice issues concluding with a volunteer project.

YWCA Camp Meadows

(ages 5-13+)

June 18 – July 25, 2018

YWCA Camp Meadows, a summer enrichment day program for special needs children of elementary school ages, is in session for Summer (June/July) for six weeks Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10AM to 2 PM each day.

YWCA Camp Meadows is held at and uses the facilities Bush School, 800 Nebobish Street, Essexville. Goals of YWCA Camp Meadows are (1) enrichment time for the special needs children and (2) respite time for their families. YWCA Camp Meadows began in 1981; the program fee for is $475.

The special needs children - ages 5 to 13+ years - are involved in a variety of activities daily including arts & crafts, recreation & physical fitness, as well as enrolled in the Bay County Library System Summer Reading Program. Many hands on activities will be available for the children to do with help from staff and many, many wonderful teenage volunteers! The day camp serves special needs children from Bay and surrounding counties, who have a wide variety of special education certifications and/or special needs;most of the children attend some type of special education program during the school year. Enrollment is limited to 18. YWCA Camp Meadows is a program of the YWCA, Great Lakes Bay Region (989-894-9055).

Each child enrolled MUST be able to respond positively to directions given to him/her by someone other than just a family member; YWCA Camp Meadows staff must be able to meet those needs. NOTE: This program is not equipped to include special needs children with severe mental, emotional, or multiple impairments or those special needs children which have access to extended year programming in public/intermediate school district programs.

If you know of a special needs child, ages 5 to 13+ years, who would benefit from this 6 week Summer enrichment day program or have questions, please contact Diane Rapson Gabil, Director - YWCA Camp Meadows (989-392-1080/cell; drapsongabil@chartermi.net).

YWCA Greener Pastures

(girls ages 13-26)

June 18 – July 25, 2018

YWCA Greener Pastures, a Summer day program for teenage and young adult girls - ages 13 through 26 - with special needs, is in session for Summer (June/July) for six weeks Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10AM to 2PM each day. This program is held at Bush School, 800 Nebobish Street, Essexville.

This program began in 2000, because of parents of YWCA Camp Meadows children requesting a follow up program for their female children when they ‘aged out’ of that program. Enrollment space is limited to 15. YWCA Greener Pastures is a program of the YWCA, Great Lakes Bay Region (989-894-9055).

YWCA Camp Meadows is held at and uses the facilities Bush School, 800 Nebobish Street, Essexville. Goals of YWCA Camp Meadows are (1) enrichment time for the special needs children and (2) respite time for their families. YWCA Camp Meadows began in 1981; the program fee for is $475.

The program fee for YWCA Greener Pastures is $475.

YWCA Greener Pastures girls with special needs, most who learn differently than other students in traditional school settings, and who are in most cases, in some type of special education program. The program highlights the transition from school into the world of volunteering/work. Areas of emphasis are: staying on given task, work safety, following directions, completing tasks to set standards, and appropriate social skills in a variety of different situations. The special needs girls are also involved daily in recreation/physical fitness activities, plus Community Service projects. The special needs girls receive a small stipend each week which is used for purchasing their needs/wants for this program; this also gives them an opportunity to work with real money in making purchases and concepts of saving money for upcoming events.

The girls work alongside Job Trainers - ratio of 4 to 5 girls per 1 Job Trainer - whose duties are to model the activities to be done, supervise the special needs girls, give direction and guidance as well as being a friend throughout their day. The Job Trainers work with each of the special needs girls to increase their volunteer/employability skills, learn/use appropriate social skills in a variety of situations, to be involved in activities in the Community, plus help increase their personal recreation/physical fitness abilities. This program incorporates the use of Bay Metro Transportation, Bay County Library System, Bay Animal Control/Humane Society, Bay City State Recreation Area, River Walk, Bay City Mall, and other local destinations to help foster a variety of activities for these special needs girls.

Enrollment will be based on each individual girl’s needs and the ability of YWCA Greener Pastures staff to meet those needs. Each special needs girl enrolled MUST be able to respond positively to directions given to her by someone other than just a family member. NOTE: This program is not equipped to include special needs girls with severe mental, emotional, or multiple impairments or those special needs girls who have access to extended year programming in public/intermediate school district programs.

If you know of a special needs teenage or young adult girl, between ages of 13 to 26, who would benefit from a 6 weeks Summer transition school to work/volunteer program or have questions, please contact Diane Rapson Gabil, Director - YWCA Greener Pastures (989-392-1080/cell; drapsongabil@chartermi.net).

YWCA Open Fields

(boys age 12-20+)

June 18 – July 25, 2018

YWCA Open Fields, a summer enrichment day program for teenage young men - ages 12 to 20+ with special needs. It is in session each Summer (June/July) for six weeks, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM each day. The program is held at Bush School, 800 Nebobish Street, Essexville. Program emphasis is on Community Service/Volunteering in the Community, learning how to better advocate for themselves, social awareness skills in a variety of different situations, plus recreation/physical fitness

All this while building friendships! YWCA Open Fields was begun in 2012 because of parents of YWCA Camp Meadows children requesting a follow up program for their male children when they ‘aged out’ of that program. YWCA Open Fields program enrollment space is limited to 12. YWCA Open Fields is a program of the YWCA, Great Lakes Bay Region (989-894-9055); the program fee is $475.

The special needs teenage young men enrolled in YWCA Open Fields learn differently than other students in traditional school settings, and they are in most cases, in some type of special education program.The special needs teenage young men receive a small stipend each week which they use for purchasing their needs/wants during this program; this also gives them an opportunity to work with real money in making purchases and concepts of saving money for upcoming events.

The special needs teenage young men will work alongside Male Mentors - ratio of 3 or 4 teenage young men per 1 Male Mentor - whose duties are to model the activities to be done, supervise the special needs teenage young men, give direction and guidance, as well as, being a friend throughout their day! The Male Mentors will work with the special needs teenage young men to help each of them grow to be responsible, caring young men. This program incorporates the use of Bay Metro Transportation, Bay County Library System, Bay City State Recreation Area, Bay Animal Control/Humane Society, River Walk, Bay City Mall, and other local destinations to help foster a variety of activities for these special needs teenage young men.

Enrollment is based on each individual teenage male needs and the ability of YWCA Open Fields staff to meet those needs. Each special needs young man MUST be able to respond positively to directions given to him by someone other than just a family member. NOTE: This program is not equipped to include special needs young men with severe mental, emotional, or multiple impairments or those special needs males who have access to extended year programming in public/intermediate school district programs.

If you know of a special needs teenage male who would benefit from a 6 weeks Summer day program involving Community Service/Volunteering, learning advocating for himself, gaining social awareness, and recreation/physical fitness please contact Diane Rapson Gabil, Director - YWCA Open Fields, Director, (989-392-1080/cell; drapsongabil@chartermi.net).

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